Silver Linings

The following chapter is written in 3rd Person POV…

“Hydrate.” Stella says, before throwing a sports drink bottle towards Cassie who easily catches it.

“Thanks.” Cassie replies, before taking a big gulp of the sports drink, and releasing a quenched pant. “That hit the spot.” Cassie comments, before plopping down on the couch in exhaustion.

“What a fucking day, huh?” Stella rhetorically asks, as she makes her way towards Cassie.

“Tell me about it.” Cassie jokes, as Stella plops down the couch next to her.

“How about ‘no’?” Stella jokes back.

“Yeah. Let’s go to fucking bed and be done with this day.” Cassie wholeheartedly agrees.

“Are you still good to practice tomorrow?” Stella asks.

“Oh, of course.” Cassie answers. “I really need something to get my mind off of this… bullshit. Even if it’s just for a few hours.” She then admits, and Stella definitely notices all the exhaustion Cassie packed into saying ‘bullshit’.

“Got it. Practicing separately then.” Stella concludes.

“What!? No! Why’re you suggesting that all of a sudden?” Cassie asks.

“Well, I am part of that ‘bullshit’.” Stella points out.

“No~! Not what I meant and you know that!” Cassie tells her, getting Stella to teasingly laugh at Cassie’s expense, making Cassie realize that Stella’s just joking. Cassie decides to not to take Stella’s joke lying down, and tries to smack Stella for it.

*SMACK*

“WOAH!” Stella reacts out of sheer surprise, and Cassie covers her mouth with the hand she used to smack Stella with, and covers that guilty hand with the other out of embarrassed shock. Cassie was targeting Stella’s chest, but ended up smacking her right on the boob.

“I’m sorry.” Cassie immediately apologizes, while Stella still looks at her in shock. The two stare at each other like this for a moment, before Stella’s eyes and lips turn devilish. Stella pounces on Cassie, and immediately starts tickling both Cassie’s sides.

“HAHAHAHA! STOP!” Cassie pleads to no avail in between laughs.

“I know you want me, but there are nicer ways to touch my boobs, you know?” Stella teases Cassie, who remembers that Stella is technically the instigator here and decides to fight back. Cassie proceeds to do a bit of tickling of her own, and the surprise counter forces Stella to turn to try and avoid the tickling.

*THUD*

Their bodies fall on the floor beside the couch, with Cassie on top of Stella, and the shock of falling off the couch surprises both of them and causes them to stop their tickle-fighting. And because they’re no longer roughhousing, the two best friends just stare at each other in silence.

Neither woman looks away. They laugh for a bit, realizing how dumb they were acting to find themselves on the floor after acting like children. Their laughter then turns into awkward smiles, after recognizing the precarious position they both find themselves in. The smiles slowly fade into full on awkward silence, as the two just stare into each other’s eyes.

Cassie’s eyes are full of questions. Full of doubts. Full of desire.

Desire for something more.

While Stella’s… they’re full of apologies. Full of certainty. Full of regret.

Regret in knowing she still doesn’t see Cassie the way the latter sees her.

…

“I’m sleeping over you guys!” Maddy then announces, just as the door to the apartment opens.

At first, it doesn’t seem like no one heard her announcement other than Jay who is standing beside her. Stella and Cassie’s precarious position is being blocked by the couch, and they’re frozen in place and looking panicked, both feeling they just got caught in the act. The lack of response quickly turns Maddy’s look of elation into one of disappointment.

“Aw, they’re already sleeping?” Maddy asks, the disappointment clear in her voice.

“Nope!” Cassie quickly answers, as she jumps up to attention and shows herself to Maddy and Jay.

“Still awake!” Stella adds soon after, doing the same sudden standing motion from the floor as Cassie.

“Did… did you guys just come from the floor?” Jay asks them in confusion.

“Oh!” Stella gasps guiltily.

“Uh~... I dropped something!” Cassie lies.

“Oh! Yeah! I was just helping her find it!” Stella continues the obvious lie, causing Jay and Maddy to both raise their eyebrows in suspicion.

“Were we… I mean, we weren’t, um… interrupting anything, were we?” Maddy asks guiltily.

“No! Nooooo~, you’re not interrupting anything!” Stella guiltily lies again, causing Jay and Maddy to glance at each other in doubt.

“You said you were sleeping over, Maddy?” Cassie tries to immediately shift the conversation away from the topic.

“Yes!” Maddy answers giddily, her excitement immediately back. “Grammy was even the one that gave me permission! Grandpa Rick didn’t have to convince her this time.” Maddy adds.

“That’s great, Maddy.” Cassie replies.

“Oh! I guess I’m sleeping in my room again tonight.” Stella comments.

“What?” Maddy quietly asks in disappointed confusion.

“Why you? I can take your room tonight too.” Cassie asks in confusion, not hearing Maddy’s question.

“Nah. You didn’t get to sleep next to dad last night, so you can go ahead.” Stella tells her.

“From what Jay told me, you didn’t either.” Cassie points out.

“That was different!” Stella says defensively.

“How!?” Cassie asks back, their agitation towards each other clearly rising.

“Because… it-it just is!” Stella weakly counters.

“Wow~, great comeback.” Cassie sarcastically tells her.

“Hey! I thought I was doing you a favor! But if you’re gonna be pissy about it then go sleep alone then!” Stella shouts back.

“~Enough!” Jay tells both of them in a raised voice. “You two obviously still need to hash things out further if this is how you’re acting.” Jay points out, to the guilty looks of both Stella and Cassie.

“So how about both of you sleep in Stella’s room tonight and figure things out.” Jay tells them, his tone making it clear that it wasn’t a suggestion.

“Why does one of them have to take Stella’s room? Can’t we all just sleep together?” Maddy asks innocently.

“Bed’s not gonna be big enough for all five of us.” Jay answers Maddy.

“Five?” Maddy asks.

Just as she does, Tanya enters the apartment with her own look of annoyance.

“[Fucking children.]” Tanya grunts in Spanish as she enters, and Maddy nods her head after realizing that she forgot that Tanya sleeps with Jay now too.

“What happened with Sofia and Nelly?” Cassie asks, having understood what Tanya said.

“Ugh. Not tonight, chica. A conversation for another day.” Tanya replies.

“It doesn’t have anything to do with her drunken comment about dad earlier, does it?” Stella continues to prod.

“I said ‘NOT. TO. NIGHT.’” Tanya says more emphatically. Stella and Cassie glance at each other knowingly, before letting out chuckles they can’t even begin to hold back.

“Which comment? The one about sleeping with Jay if she doesn’t find a boyfriend soon?” Maddy asks innocently.

“GAH!” Tanya can’t help but react, and this confirmation opens the floodgates between Stella and Cassie, turning their chuckles into outright laughter.

“[Fucking children.]” Tanya repeats, but in a more defeated tone than out of annoyance.

“Enough.” Jay repeats again, playing referee once more. “It’s obviously a touchy subject, and you girls should be more mindful.” Jay reminds them. “But I am glad you two are on the same side again.” Jay adds.

“But still, I think you girls still need to talk this out on your own if the tiniest thing can rile you both up.” Jay caveats.

“What do you mean? Were the girls fighting again?” Tanya asks, with Jay nodding to confirm.

“It wasn’t a fight!” Cassie says defensively.

“Yeah! Not everything’s a fight between us. Jeez.” Stella says in support. “It was more of a… misunderstanding?” Stella says doubtfully, looking at Cassie for confirmation.

“Yeah. Misunderstanding.” Cassie confirms.

“About…?” Tanya asks.

“About…” Stella tries to answer, before looking towards Cassie for help.

“I thought Stella was isolating herself so she wouldn’t have to be around me tonight.” Cassie answers honestly.

“Wait, what!?” Stella asks in shock. “That’s not what I meant!” Stella tells her.

“I know! I’m sorry! After you said something about practicing separately, I thought…” Cassie apologizes, before being unable to find the words to explain what she’s feeling.

“I’m trying to avoid you?” Stella finishes the thought for her, and Cassie can only nod regretfully. Stella immediately wraps Cassie into a hug, while leaning her cheek on Cassie’s shoulder. “~Cass! You know it’s gonna take more than awkwardness to get rid of me, right?” Stella asks her sweetly.

“I know~. It’s just…” Cassie tries to explain, but is unable to finish her thought.

“‘Bullshit’?” Stella finishes the thought for her.

“Yeah. Bullshit.” Cass confirms.

“Today has been filled with that, hasn’t it?” Tanya comments, getting Jay and the others to disappointedly nod in agreement.

…

“Well, at least there’s one good thing about today.” Tanya then comments, intentionally leaving the thought hanging.

“What?” Maddy asks, taking Tanya’s bait.

“Day’s not over yet.”